Understanding Attitudes Towards Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.

Abstract

After the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, some people believed that discrimination based on sexual orientation had ended, just as some people believed that discrimination based on race had ended with Obama’s Presidency in 2008. But the truth of the matter is, localized cohorts among the general population, i.e. older Americans, southerners, African Americans, evangelical Protestants, and Republicans continue to oppose gay marriage quite strongly, despite a majority of Americans supporting same-sex marriage. Whereas some argue that this has to do with factors like education and religiosity, others recognize that support has increased steadily, even among those most opposed, making this phenomenon in public opinion quite unique. As a result, researchers suggest that increases in support may represent a larger, cultural shift within society, which has made Americans more tolerant of sexual minorities, like homosexuals. In fact, in 2013, most Americans believed that the legal recognition of same-sex marriage was “inevitable,” according to polls collected by the Pew Research Center. But does this inevitability actually translate into acceptance of same-sex marriage and sexual minorities more generally?